Meet Grayson Sykes aka Gray - baby PI, fresh off writing reports for other investigators, bumbling around her first real case.
The case - Track down a missing dog (assumed to be kidnapped by the dog owner's girl friend)
Expectation - To be solved over a weekend
Reality - Not quite meets the expectation

What should have been a straightforward missing persons case quickly spirals out of control, exposing layer after layer as Gray painstakingly peels them off one by one as she heads closer to the truth.

Not quite a superficial thriller as the blurb would have you believe. The book deals with a lot of heavy stuff (majorly domestic abuse). In a genre dominated by self-medicating heroines of privilege, Gray was a breath of fresh air.

This was my first read by the author Rachel Howzall-Hall and I am sure it wouldn't be the last. Also, it would be great if the author gave us more of Gray and her merry band of urban sleuths and their backstories (especially that of Zadie "employee number one" Mendelbaum)

Much thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing me with this digital ARC. All opinions are mine.

This was a fabulous novel, I’ve seen so many people rave about it and the accolades are well deserved. And Now She’s Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall should be on your radar. Its suspenseful, twisty, captivating, and Rachel has a very descriptive way of writing so every chapter will thoroughly entertain you!

Take a look:

Isabel Lincoln is gone. But is she missing?

It’s up to Grayson Sykes to find her. Although she is reluctant to track down a woman who may not want to be found, Gray’s search for Isabel Lincoln becomes more complicated and dangerous with every new revelation about the woman’s secrets and the truth she’s hidden from her friends and family.

Featuring two complicated women in a dangerous cat and mouse game, Rachel Howzell Hall’s And Now She’s Gone explores the nature of secrets — and how violence and fear can lead you to abandon everything in order to survive.

I enjoyed the character of Grayson, a PI carrying the pain of her past, drinking to escape, trying to get through the days. There is a parallel between the missing woman, Isabel, and Grayson. I love it when characters are flawed and dimensional; I think the author did a brilliant job with Grayson. And the book is one you won’t want to miss.

Coming out on September 22, pre-order now.

Twists, turns and big surprises oh my! I really enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing the entire time! I found the storyline and plot to be clever and well thought out. It’s the kind of story that truly played out like a movie in my head.

I would love to see this story on the big screen! Isabel Lincoln is missing and Grayson Skyes is private investigator hired by Ian, Isabel’s boyfriend, to find her. As Gray investigates she starts to question why Isabel is missing in the first place and what she might be hiding. The story goes between present day, and Gray’s past. Grays story involves a troubled past with an abusive partner and a name change to escape. Isabel’s story is complex and will keep you guessing.

My only complaint is that there were a lot of characters to keep track of and I struggled a bit with that but the story was really good and I hope this isn’t the last of Grayson Skyes. I would love to read more stories with her in it. I loved loved loved her character. Please please please give me more of Grayson Skyes!

http://ramblinhamlin.com/and-now-shes-gone-review/

I loved this book. It grabbed me on page one and didn’t let go of my attention until I finished it! Well written, intense, chilling, shocking, and unputdownable are very easy to use when describing this book! Cannot wait to read more by this author, because she definitely knows what thriller lovers yearn for and delivers them in style! It was original, but realistic and chilling throughout! Grab your copy today, as I promise if you need some thrills and chills, you’ll get it with this book!
Will make sure to buzz around platforms and use low Amazon reviewer number on release date!

Lots of twists to keep you entertained. I wanted to tell Grayson to take care of herself though!

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3 ½ stars

“Boyfriends and husbands, baby daddies and one-night stands were always madly, deeply, truly in love. Bloody love. Crazy love. Love-you-to-death kind of love.”

Last year I read the first book in Rachel Howzell Hall's 'Detective Elouise Norton' series. It had a great sense of place and a brilliant main character. And Now She's Gone shares many of its strengths. Once again Hall brings Los Angeles life and culture to life. From its more bourgeois or hipster-y venues to its neighbourhoods with their different identities. While And Now She's Gone lacks some of Land of Shadows' grit, the narrative does touch upon sensitive topics.
Grayson Sykes, who goes by Gray, works at a P.I. firm, founded by an old friend of hers, and she's just been assigned her very first 'big' case (previously she was tracing missing dogs).
Ian O'Donnell's girlfriend and his dog have seemingly vanished without a trace. In spite of Ian's seeming respectability, he's white, wealthy, a successful doctor, Gray soon begins to question his relationship to his missing girlfriend. Isabel Lincoln, the missing woman, has an elusive past and her disappearance is anything but a straightforward affair.
Interspersed throughout the narrative are fragments from Gray's own traumatic past. Her experiences inform her investigation, and she soon begins to question whether she wants to unite Ian with Isabel.
The novel juggles quite a few storylines. At times I did feel more invested in Gray's story than in Isabel's disappearance. Perhaps because the case becomes a rather thorny affair, and there were certain revelations that seemed a bit convenient. Still, I really liked Gray and her character arc. Hall pays attention to the smaller, and often overlooked, moments that make up a P.I's investigation (such as non-functioning pens or dying batteries). Gray's was an admirable and relatable protagonist. I do wish that some of those 'then' scenes were cut, merely because I would have preferred more time with Gray in the 'now'.
Gray's circle of friends were entertaining and served to lighten the overall mood. In spite of its serious themes, the story did have a breezy tone (a more modern Janet Evanovich?) and I definitely liked Gray's sense of humour: “The Armed Forces Career was steps away from Panda Express. From broccoli beef lover to proud marine in less than twenty yards.”
The romance subplot kind of irritated me. While the sexual tension between these two was clear, and I wanted Gray to be happy, I did found the whole 'you're not ready for a relationship' line to be rather presumptuous (who is he to decide whether Gray is read or not?). While there were some twists that I didn't see coming, I wasn't entirely convinced by the story's resolution. It felt a bit too fantastical.
Still, I did find this novel to be entertaining. Hall's descriptions managed to be colourfully amusing:
“Las Vegas in the morning was like the hot guy in a dark club who, in the light, had buck teeth, hair plugs, and smelled like a fifties-era bowling. Morning Vegas needed to stay in bed until dusk, until the neon and the glass and full-on commitment to the illusion worked best.”
I liked how aware the narrative is of certain tropes (Gone Girl is indeed mentioned). There were quite a few nasty individuals in this novel. Ian was a repulsive guy (more than once he comes out with 'I'm a nice guy' and says racist shit along the lines of 'I don't see colour'). We also have an abusive man who does come out with non-to-credible lines: “We could've ruled the world”.
And Now She's Gone would probably make a great summer read. It has compelling protagonist, a fast-paced narrative, and a vividly rendered setting.

I love being a reviewer as I get to read books months before the public's release and recently I was in the mood for a mystery and I had previously enjoyed Rachel's debut novel, so I was looking forward to And Now She's Gone. The book starts suspenseful with a character being on the run and we have dark SUVs. In the next chapter, we meet a group of girlfriends/ work colleagues who are part of the same P.I firm Rader Consulting. One of them Grayson Sykes has been given her first-ever missing-persons case and is so excited. For her though, this case is a bit personal as she was once like Isabel Lincoln. We learn throughout the novel about Grayson's past and then near the end, it looks like it has finally caught up with her eight years later. Normally missing person cases can be straightforward, but Isabel doesn't want to be found and has gone too long lengths to stay hidden and for Isabel - changing her name, etc, and running is a common thread in her life, this is by far her first rodeo. Soon Grayson will be running for her own life as she tries to track down the complex web and untangle to find out who is Isabel and why is she hiding? This book had lots of twists and turns and when Isabel's story comes unraveling at the end of the book - I have to admit I didn't see that coming and was in two minds with how the story the finished as it had a bit of an ending that reminded me of The Departed starring Leonardo DiCaprio - which I hated that ending, it made me angry and like that movie - the ending made me feel unresolved. Also, this particular book has a strong black character focus as well which is timely for the current state of events happening in the world. For those wanting a good intricate mystery, then this is the read for you and come September, don't forget to check out "And Now She's Gone" by Rachel Howzell Hall.

"Unlike most men who vanished, women rarely got caught. They just wanted a new beginning."

And Now She's Gone was a fantastic read! This was a complexly plotted mystery surrounding a missing woman, full of thrilling twists and superbly suspenseful all while being really real and exploring what it's like to be not only a Black woman in America, but also a what it's like to be trapped in an abusive relationship and just how hard it is to get out of.

I love reading about strong female protagonists who take no shit and Grayson Sykes definitely was what I was after. She's not just another "broken" soul fumbling through life... she's worked hard to become a private detective and is determined as heck to break her first case no matter how many obstacles get in her way! And man, each obstacle and distraction actually all came together in the end in a way I didn't anticipate--which is so rare in Thrillers and Mysteries these days!

I'd highly recommend pre-ordering this one and then marking September 22nd as a day -off on your calendar because once you start reading And Now She's Gone you won't want to stop. I stayed up until the early hours of the morning to finish this one!

A PI running away from her past abused life is looking for a missing woman who is not a victim after all.
Grayson Sykes had to change lives to avoid the cruelty of her monstrous husband. With a new identity, she is now working in a different state and has been given her first case: Find Isabel Lincoln who has disappeared and seems to have been abused by her Doctor boyfriend. The more Grayson digs into the past the tricky and disloyal Isabel the more she feels compelled to discover what has really happened to her. She will have to take great risks and use every fiber in her body to get to the bottom of this case.
And Now She's Gone is riveting, exciting, complex and touching at the same time. A page turner until the very end, it is hard to leave Grayson. Her next case would surely be the subject of a great book.

Wow. Wow. Wow!
First thank you to NetGalley and Forge Books for this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

If you’re looking for an amazing and wild ride, read And Now She’s Gone! Just as you’re beginning to think you’ve got it all figured out there is another twist and turn around the corner. Hall does such an amazing job developing these characters and the mystery behind them – you will not want to put this book down. Even when your children want to eat or even are asking for bedtime!

Grayson Sykes has just been assigned her first PI case – find a doctor’s ex Isabel Lincoln and the dog she stole from him. Seems intriguing and strange enough, but the more Gray gets into the case and the more people she talks to – the more it seems no one is who they say they are.

Complex issues are explored surrounding domestic abuse, identity and belonging, and a classic game of cat and mouse this novel is fast pace and an epic addition to the literary world! As someone who reads a LOT of psychological thrillers and mysteries – And Now She’s Gone blew me away! Easily in my top five of 2020. Run and pre-order this book now – it releases September 22nd and you will want to read this as soon as it hits the shelves.

Yoowza ! This is outstanding, powerful, twisty, riveting, surprising and absolutely unputdownable! I have to admit I wish this book wasn’t a standalone because I’ll be so pleased to read more adventures of Grayson Skies. I hope the author reconsider to write more books with this memorable character.

This is a remarkable story of broken, abused, neglected souls: Grayson Skies is a private investigator with troubled past, abused by a monster calls himself husband dearest for years. Now she has a clean slate, working on a case of Isabel Lincoln: a missing woman with troubled past and rumored to be abused by her boyfriend. As you continue to read two women’s back stories, you start to see the similarities: they are both beaten, humiliated and abandoned. They eventually do whatever it takes to survive! But are their stories really similar or there are some missing pieces don’t fit the entire puzzle properly.

Grayson is at the edge of breakdown, drinking too much, always looking over her shoulder to make sure she’s not followed, carrying mace, sleeping with a gun under her pillow and as she continues digging more about Isabel’s past, she brings out more dirty secrets and twisty facts which she never expected to find. And of course getting a text message from monster husband dearest who finally found her whereabouts makes things more complicated.

I’m stopping right now and I highly recommend you to read this book and enjoy all those jaw dropping, mind blowing, nail biter, head spinning, entertaining moments.

My spidey senses worked overtime to guess the final twist: it was really well-played and great one!

Overall: Well-developed, emotionally layered characterization, gripping, thrilling story telling skills and absolutely satisfying conclusion earned well-deserved five stars and shiny place at the my top ten thrillers of 2020! I TRULY LOVED IT!

My tbr turned into a Godzilla: it gets more humongous and threatening at each second because I already feed it with several books of this author!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan/ Tor- Forge for sharing this incredible Arc with me and introduce me this fantastic author. I’m looking forward to read more works of her.

Grayson Sykes is on the case as a PI for Rader Consulting - find Ian O'Donnell's missing girlfriend, who absconded with his dog over a month ago and hasn't been heard from since. Straightforward enough for Gray's first case, but unfortunately this whole deal has more layers than than puff pastry and Gray is keeping secrets of her own that may complicate things. As a character study of Grayson Sykes, this works extremely well; she's a deep, nuanced person with the smarts, wit, and grit that I've come to expect from all of Howzell Hall's narrators. She nails the dynamic of abusive relationships and her depictions of intimate partner violence and the mindset of the person being abused are frighteningly accurate, to the point where I almost want to include a content warning. There are some things that don't work as well for me on the procedural side of things, but a lot of that can be excused as Gray being a novice. The only real qualm I have is how we get a book's worth of build up over one particular character yet that plot line just kind of fizzles out at the end - I was waiting for a better resolution and all of a sudden I was at the end of the book. But I love, love, love some of the twists of the case, especially the denouement, which I'd guessed about a chapter earlier than Gray and as such was extremely satisfied to see things play out as I'd predicted. I am now obligated to say that I'd love another new Lou Norton book someday, but this is another great standalone (?) novel from Howzell Hall.

Isabel Lincoln is gone. Is she a missing person? Is she in need of help, or is she in the run? That's what private detective Gray is trying to find out. Well written, strong women and major twists.

Wow, this book was incredible. This was my first read by Rachel Howzell Hall, but I can guarantee that this book will not be my last. If you like Lisa Jewell and old school Ruth Ware novels, Rachel Howzell Hall will exceed your mystery/thriller goals.

Taking place over two timelines, one current and one past, we are introduced to the protagonist, Grayson Sykes. Grayson (or nicknamed Gray) is a private detective, working at elite Rader Consulting, and she is tasked with a new case. This case involves a doctor trying to find his girlfriend Isabel. Isabel vanished without a trace, but his dog is also missing. It seems pretty standard, as Isabel has been known to run off, but as Gray begins to investigate, she notices that this case is far from standard. This cat and mouse thriller deviates between two different storylines, as they come full circle.

O M G. This is probably the most intricate mystery novel that I've ever read. There, I said it. The slow building mystery starts off relatively simple, but as you dive into the story, you'll be completely shocked at how it plays out. I absolutely had no idea where it was going and I was completely stumped. There were intense moments of suspense that were unexpected and I truly was ready to look over my shoulder at times. For someone who reads hundreds of mysteries and thrillers every year, this is not a simple task for an author to do to me. Stumped and enamored, And Now She's Gone is one of my favorite novels of the year. Touching on race, gender, and interpersonal relationships, this book not only will entertain, but show you how society treats women, people of color, and sex. I can't recommend this book enough.

Gray Sykes has been tasked with tracking down Isabel Sykes. Her family say she’s missing, but Gray’s not so sure. What’s the difference between a missing woman and a woman who doesn’t want to be found? The more Gray investigates, the more she’s sure it’s the latter. Just how far will Isabel go to keep from being found. It’s rare to read a book where the central characters are strong, kick ass women, but that’s what this twisted and fascinating tale has, in spades

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

4.5* rounded up. This was excellent; twisty without being confusing, and the writing was very good. There were a couple of little discrepancies which didn't get resolved, so I wonder if there will be further books featuring Grey. The time frames of the chapters describing Grey's past was the thing I liked least about this novel - one day I will read a book with a straightforward linear narrative...

Highly recommended.